title: Towards on-chip integration of brain imaging photodetectors using standard CMOS process.
abstract: The main effects of on-chip integration on the performance and efficiency of silicon avalanche photodiode (SiAPD) and photodetector front-end is addressed in this paper based on the simulation and fabrication experiments. Two different silicon APDs are fabricated separately and also integrated with a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) front-end using standard CMOS technology. SiAPDs are designed in p+/n-well structure with guard rings realized in different shapes. The TIA front-end has been designed using distributed-gain concept combined with resistive-feedback and common-gate topology to reach low-noise and high gain-bandwidth product (GBW) characteristics. The integrated SiAPDs show higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), sensitivity and detection efficiency comparing to the separate SiAPDs. The integration does not show a significant effect on the gain and preserves the low power consumption. Using APDs with p-well guard-ring is preferred due to the higher observed efficiency after integration.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kamrani
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lesage
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sawan
mesh_terms: D000669:Amplifiers, Electronic; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D012666:Semiconductors; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D010087:Oxides; D012825:Silicon